What a Day!

We probably should have spread some of this to another day, but it’s supposed to rain tomorrow and Thursday, and we’re leaving on vacation next Tuesday, so the timing was getting tight.

Painters will be done tomorrow, a day ahead of their estimate. 

Very pleased with the work they’ve done - and recommended them to the poor guy across the street who now has water running down his walls. What is it with this neighborhood?? 

A tile guy is coming tomorrow to give a quote on redoing the master bedroom floor. Not going with wood again - we’ve learned that lesson!

The last things we need (I think) to give the insurance company are quotes for the floor tile and master closet interior. Somebody had the bright idea (slight sarcasm) of stopping at Ikea to look at their closet systems on our way to Pasadena. Got some good ideas but also walked a mile and a half trying to find the exit! Cyrus and I were tired before we even got to the main event…

We saw Carved at Descanso Gardens again! 

Wanted to take Cyrus before we left for Europe 

and tonight seemed the best fit.

I don’t think it was as well done as last year but it was still well worth going. 

I especially liked the ghost people. 

So spooky and clever. 

Arriving late and having to park waaay down the street 

added to our step count - 

just shy of another mile and a half. 

As a reward for putting up with us, we took Cyrus to Rolling Pin Donuts, a local must-see. 

The donuts may not be the best but they sure are big! And they’re open all night so you can watch them rolling and frying before picking your favs. 

This only measures planned walks, where I take my phone along.

Nepenthes

With everything that’s going on, I haven’t paid much attention to my carnivorous plants other than to keep them watered. 

This one got pushed to the back and look what I found when I pulled it out…

The pitchers are huge! 

The biggest ones are a tad over 4”. And there are so many!

Pictured in June, purchased in March

This was my first C plant, bought on a whim from a small display at a local nursery. I think it likes it here. 

Back to the Mess

Good news! 

 Linen closet with guest bath to the right

The construction crew was able to start a bit early, so we have progress on rebuilding. And! They say they’ll be done by next Thursday. 

 No more cat attic access! All the drywall is up

We were skeptical until we saw how much progress they made today. 

 Closets ready for paint

They are cranking it out.

 No mo’  popcorn.

And the workmanship is great. Pop was impressed they were able to get the arch’s curve so smooth 

and that they are screwing on the drywall rather than the faster, but less secure, method of nailing it on. 

This is the same crew that painted the exterior and did such a meticulous job. 

We won’t be moving back downstairs for awhile though. Pop is going to finish the closets himself, 

 The maze piles are worse - only a little longer…

plus we need to find a tile guy for the bedroom floor after we get back from vacation. 

And then all this stuff can go back. where. it. belongs!

Medieval Times, Day 4

Leia has talked about Fry Bread House, a James Beard award winning restaurant, since we got to Phoenix. She’s taken her dad and he loved it as much as she does.

The restaurant building is very small and was jammed packed. You stand in line, yell your order across the counter, then sit - probably outside under pop-ups; so glad it wasn’t super hot today - 

and wait 25+ minutes for the fresh, hot order to arrive. Did I mention they were packed? 

It was good, especially the veggie beef stew Pop ordered, but I didn’t like it all that much (don’t tell Leia). Gotta try something different next time…

Have you noticed how much this trip has focused on food? 

Leia has scoped out some really good places in the year+ she’s lived here. 

Tonight’s visit wasn’t so much about the food - although their “dragon’s blood” soup is one of Leia’s favorites. 

It was more about yelling and flag waving and having a good time. Oh, and a little about horses. 

Of the 4 teens, I think only Leia had been to Medieval Times before. A very good time was had by all (especially Pop who had both his and my roasted half chicken, 3 corns on the cob and a couple baked potato halves. 😆) 

It’s messy eating with your hands but the food is surprisingly delicious.

Tomorrow we head home, leaving Ginger behind. In just 2 days, she’s already exploring all the rooms and demanding attention from all 3 roomies. I’ll miss her but the Princess will be living her very best life in the desert. 

Scottsdale, Day 3

Ginger is still happy (Leia too), the food at Butters is still excellent (2 days in a row!) 

and we found a great place - the Western Spirit Museum - that us elders enjoyed and Leia plans to visit with her teen pals too. 

The gift shop lady said they’ve been open 12 years but almost nobody has heard of them. 

They have a new marketing person who will hopefully get the word out - this is a quality, quirky place to spend an afternoon. 

There’s a little bit of a lot of things on display along with an excellent selection of bronze sculptures. 

The current show, due to rotate soon, is western movie posters and artifacts, with snippets of the actual movies playing on screens around the exhibit. 

I bet hubby has seen over 90% of the films - he does love a good (or bad! He’s not picky😆) western. 

 An actual Remington bronze from 1901! And a photobombing teen.

Leia made us feel really old - we’d say ‘oh look, there’s Ernie Borgnine’ or Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Raquel Welch, Burt Reynolds??? and she’d say ‘who??’. She did know John Wayne though…

A docent said there's a town parade the first weekend in February, with all the horses sporting their best silver finery. 

It goes right by the museum and you can hear the silver clanking from blocks away. We may need to visit Leia again about then…

Just realized I didn’t take any pics of the jewelry! The pieces were stunning, with a selection of traditional and modern. Definitely want to see them again. 

I did get pics of some of the weaving (gorgeous)

and a pottery bowl circa 1700. (That Blogger won’t let me upload. 😡) It was broken, then repaired and is still beautiful. I’ll try uploading when we get home…

Neat landscaping around the exterior. Wonder if we have enough slate left to try this…